The Nixie And Me
by RapunzelInTheSnow
Summary: There's a Nixie in the lake! Ben and Twigleg investigate... Please read!
1. Chapter 1

"Ask what I am if you want. Who says I'll answer you?"

Ben looked in surprise at the girl in front of him. Seaweed tied her hair back and she grinned nonchalantly.

"Oh. Who are you?"

A huge smile broke out on her face. "Very good!" She looked to be about fifteen, with shoulder length brown hair and a band's t shirt. Jeans hugged her waist, and sea green eyes sparkled at the teenager in front of her.

"I'll answer that. My name's Laila."

He eyed her warily. "And what are you?"

Twigleg popped his head out of Ben's pocket. "Stay away from him, evil creature!"

"I'm the person who owns this here lake." Laila smiled at Twigleg. "Although he knows of my Scandinavian cousins, it seems…"

She winked, before diving into the lake and disappearing. Ben gaped, and Twigleg made a face. "That was a Nixie! Horrible creatures that trick people."

A head popped up from the water. "I heard that! I don't trick people. And I'm the harmless sort…"

The seaweed was gone, and her hair was sopping wet, but the teenager in front of Ben seemed perfectly at ease. "And you, dragon rider, you should know that not many creatures are as evil as they might seem."

…

"A Nixie? Splendid!" Professor Greenbloom's eyes shone with excitement and he gripped Ben's shoulders. "I thought the lake might have one. Did she say what her name was?"

"Laila. She said she owned the lake." Ben shuffled about a bit and Professor Greenbloom nodded, chuckling.

"It's much more than that. Her life force is tied to it. I think you had better contact Guinevere again."

Ben nodded, and Twigleg climbed onto his shoulders. "We'll call her. It seemed a bit odd, we were just walking and she appeared."

"That means she doesn't know much about humans. She's probably spent a large amount of her time asleep underwater."

Ben fished a mobile phone out of his pocket and dialled his sister's number. Guinevere had gone to America to study mythology at one of the colleges, and rang every week with news of some new find, and she was currently hot on the trail of the Crichton Leprechaun.

"Hey, Guinevere? It's Ben."

She sounded pleased. "Ben! I've almost found him, you know. Apparently he's nice but hates company."

Ben felt a grin spread across his face. "That's fantastic. Listen; do you know what a Nixie is?"

She hummed, thinking. "Yes, I do. They're water spirits."

"I see. Thanks, but anything else?" He waited and heard a rustling sound.

"I'm just looking in my notes… Here we go! They play music and tricks. They love humans to hear it, and some are rumoured to go to sleep for a hundred years at a time."

"Thanks! I found one."

Guinevere grinned, and a thump was heard as she put down her notes. "That's brilliant. I hope it's a friendly sort."

"She is, but I'm not quite sure," Ben confessed.

"Oh, don't worry. She probably wants you to hear her sing. They only sing at night, some of them, so if she didn't sing when you found her, it means she plans to sing tonight."

"Oh!" Ben was reasonably surprised. Guinevere laughed. "Take a blanket, it might get cold."

Ben nodded, and in her lake the Nixie began to hum a little tune.


	2. Chapter 2

As night fell, Ben hurried down to the lake, blanket wrapped firmly around his shoulders. He could hear a slight tune from the lake, and quickened his pace. Twigleg was in his jacket pocket, still muttering about how this was a terrible idea and would end in tears. He could see several fairies gathered at the lake and wished with all his might that Guinevere could see this.

He saw Laila emerge, and spread the blanket out by the shore, waiting for her to begin. She spotted him and gave a friendly grin before opening her mouth and letting music emerge from her throat, casting some sort of spell on both Ben and his miniscule companion. Pure notes rose higher and higher, before slowing down, and through his shocked thoughts Ben registered that it must be a lullaby of some sort, as water rose into Laila's hands to form a violin. She raised a stiff piece of seaweed and liquid music drifted into the air, lulling the brain and captivating the listener.

She sang as she played, the two styles of music complimenting and contrasting with each other, the lake resonating with the sheer sound before she let the water drench her arm and silence fell, oddly deafening after the music. She dived back into the lake and Ben stared at the spot where she had been in amazement.

"So that was…" He looked at Twigleg, who was also staring. He gathered up the blanket and started to walk back home, in utter silence. His voice had sounded harsh and coarse after the pure voice of the mythological creature who he now knew lived in the lake.

…

Ben was half asleep at breakfast the next morning. Professor Greenbloom laughed, and Twigleg tried desperately to get him to wake up. Between the two of them, they decided that the best thing for it was probably to brew him a coffee and wait for him to snap out of it. When he did, he looked around him, wild eyed, and clutching the cup of instant.

"Who? What? When? Where? Firedrake?" He glanced around for the silver dragon and then realised where he was, and sank back into his chair.

"Sorry, I'm a bit out of it." He downed the coffee and rose from the table.

"I'll call Guinevere and tell her about it, if you don't mind." He stood up, and walked outside, leaving Twigleg with Professor Greenbloom.

"Leave him be, Twigleg. He just needs to tell her about it. He doesn't need to tell you about it…" Greenbloom smiled down at the sulking homunculus. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

…

"It was fantastic, Guin. I've never heard anything like it. It was like it flowed into your brain and the music imprinted itself there. She sang a lullaby but she played this little tune on the violin that haunted you. I could still hear it after she stopped. Even when I was asleep."

Guinevere gave a little light laugh. "The Nixies are the best at what they do." Slight shuffling could be heard, and Ben waited for her to reply. She eventually sighed.

"Some fairies have moved in under my window. So I'm a little tired, but happy. They've been letting me sketch them, so I've got a lot of sketches to show you when I come home. That's only two weeks away. Can you believe that?"

Ben felt a grin widen on his face. "That's fantastic. I really can't wait to see you. And you'll just love Laila…" He stopped, hearing a rustling.

"Looks like I have to go, Guin. See you later, okay?"

"Okay…" Guinevere yawned, and the other line went dead. He moved towards the source of the rustling and found a fairy that beckoned him.

"Go to the lake! Something's happened!"

Ben ran back to the house, reaching out for Twigleg. Professor Greenbloom blinked. "Whatever is the matter, my dear boy? Twigleg was just telling me about this charming young lady's musical ability…"

Ben looked back, panicked. "Something's wrong! We have to get there immediately!" He ran out of the door, and down the track that led to the lake, stumbling.


	3. Chapter 3

Laila was on the shore, her arms covered in cuts while a man stood over her with a dangerous expression. Ben shouted.

"Hey!"

The man dropped to the ground as a wolf, racing away while the fairies fluttered around the fallen nixie in a panic. She sat up slowly and Ben raced over to help her.

"Help me get to my lake, please…" she murmured, and he slung her arm around his shoulder so that she leant on him while they made their way down to the lake's edge. She smiled as he helped her into the water.

"So kind…" She yawned and the cuts started healing. Ben's heartbeat slowed from the frantic pace.

"Who was that guy, Laila?" he asked, while she drifted back in the water.

"An old acquaintance who isn't too fond of me. You were _very _kind, Ben."

He took that as a dismissal and he turned back to the house.

…

Laila sighed as she floated along. If only that stupid wolf wouldn't turn up all the time her life would be perfect near this kind boy who helped them all. The fairies had been worried but it was only a flesh wound, nothing internal like the last time her old friend had turned up.

Ben was kind, but his fear of the wolf man had flickered in his eyes as he helped her towards her lake. She sighed, knowing he wouldn't be happy if the man turned up again.

"To the end we shall go, then…"she murmured, her fingers idly tracing rippling patterns in the water.

…

Guin was shocked. "A werewolf attacked your nixie? Is she okay?" she asked Ben, who sighed.

"Yeah, as far as I can see. It's lucky the fairies fetched me when they did. How are you, Guin?"

Guin was silent for a minute. "Someone asked me out today, and I said yes."

Ben blinked, before a smile crossed his face. "Good for you! What's he like?"

Hesitantly, Guin replied. "Nice, I guess. We're meeting for a coffee in half an hour… I'm a little nervous.

Ben chuckled a little. "Don't be, okay? I promise to take care of Laila, and you should take care of yourself."

He cut the call and sighed as he looked through his bedroom window to the lake, where a faint ripple gave away where Laila was. She was probably better, and the relief he had felt upon seeing her heal had been good, but he was worried that she had known the man, because that meant that this had probably happened before.

Professor Greenbloom knocked at the door.

"Ben?" Opening the door, he peered around at his son.

Ben's eyes were distant, staring at the lake with concern written all over his features.

**What do you think of this then?**


End file.
